1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to spin stabilized spacecraft and more particularly to a reorientation system for automatically changing the attitude of a spin stabilized spacecraft without affecting spacecraft velocity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Spacecraft attitude is changed by prior art attitude orientation systems using rockets or reaction motors connected to the spacecraft. Usually an appropriate spacecraft sensing device is used to detect deviations from a programmed spacecraft attitude and to generate signals which trigger the rockets into operation for affecting a desired spacecraft motion. Unfortunately, the use of reaction motors in some prior art spacecraft attitude orientation systems impart an undesirable change in spacecraft velocity as well as the desired change in spacecraft attitude. For this reason, an orientation system is disclosed for a spin stabilized spacecraft having multiple single thrust level reaction motors operating in response to an automatic sequence of control signals for affecting spacecraft attitude without changing spacecraft velocity.